FTTX

text size AAA Published December 27, 2011

Overview

Fiber to the X (FTTX) refers to a broadband network that uses optical fiber instead of the typical metal local loops for data communication. The different configurations of FTTX are fiber to the node (FTTN), fiber to the curb (FTTC), fiber to the basement (FTTB), and fiber to the home (FTTH). All these configurations are collectively known as fiber to the X, where X refers to businesses, places, distance, buildings, or fiber flow.

Fiber to the basement refers to the fiber optic cables that carry network data from an Internet service provider to the customer's building. Fiber to the home refers to the fiber network connections running from a central office to a home. Fiber to the node, also known as fiber to the cabinet (FTT Cab) involves telecommunication architecture built on fiber optic cables that run to a cabinet. Fiber to the curb is also known as FTTK and is a telecommunication architecture based on fiber optic cables. These cables run to a specific platform that serves other customers.

Streaming animeProviders using fiber optic networks include cable companies, telephone companies, and power companies. Fiber technology provides cable companies the ability to offer more channels and new services to customers. Power companies use fiber to control the different kinds of components in their networks.

Benefits

FTTX offers more reliability and does not need any specific electrical components. As a result, users of FTTX experience lower operational costs in areas such as provisioning, maintenance, and planning. FTTX delivers enough bandwidth and reliability at low cost to meet the consumer's demands. Used in all carrier networks, FTTX has a high bandwidth and low noise. The fiber to the X network is used for cable connections, Internet access, and telephony services.

How It Works

Fiber optic cables are classified into two categories: single mode fiber and multimode fiber. A single mode fiber is a single connection that leaves a central office. When it reaches its destination, it is divided into many individual fibers and is distributed to various customers.

The technology used is called Active Optical Network (AON), which needs electrical equipment to distribute the signals to switches and routers. In a passive optical network (PON), a light signal is divided among all the customers. The light signals are then converted to electrical signals by the Optical Network Termination (ONT). The ONT has the power to decide to keep or discard the signal depending on the destination. This is the most widely used approach, since it offers extensive bandwidth to the customer. As there are no active components between the provider and customer location, the network reliability also increases.